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Holy buckets I have not blogged in quite a little bit! This may be the longest blog break I’ve taken in a year! Wowza. Where oh where have I been?

Welp, the month of July was insanely busy. In one short month I managed to go to New York, Chicago, Quebec City, attend two weddings, helped out with a fabulous bridal shower, attend Accepted Student’s Day at Columbia University in the City of New York (yup, that’s right, I’m heading back to NYC for grad school!) and spend a surprise night at a Ramawada Inn in Newark, NJ due to a clusterfuck of a travel situation heading back from Quebec.

When I wasn’t traveling, I was working working working! I’ve been trying to work at Trader Joe’s as much as I can while still establishing a balance for free time/sanity, which between travel and some other freelance projects I’ve had this month, has been quite the juggling act. But exciting things are coming and happening and it’s been a busy but fun month – despite the fact that it completely flew by!

So today, July 29th, I had off. Free of all obligations, duties, travel agendas, work, and any other sort of obligation that would require me to be wearing real pants at a certain time and place. Aka utter BLISS. Millie (bless her soul) of course decided woke me up at 5:34am on the dot. 5:34 am seems to be her favorite time to wake mommy up to go to the bathroom, eat breakfast, and promptly climb back into bed, leaving me up and awake for the day.

I’m naturally an early riser, but sometimes, sometimes, I fantasize of sleeping in til 6am on my days off. I guess I should just keep dreaming, right?

Getting up early isn’t always a bad thing – I’m most awake and productive in the early morning and it allows me to get things done before the rest of the world wakes up to distract me. The only downside is that often times I want to get errands done but things like the post office and Target aren’t open until several hours after I rise (-__-). Sometimes this leaves me time to do other things. Like bake.

This morning, I baked some banana bread. Can I tell you a secret? For YEARS I have had the hardest time perfecting banana bread. I just couldn’t do it! I don’t know why. It was always too dry, too wet, too clumpy, or the texture simply wasn’t correct.

I know, I know how can this be? I can make homemade Cronuts and elaborate cakes with my eyes closed, and I’m a well-known banana fiend, but for reasons beyond my explanation, I couldn’t make a decent banana bread to save my life. Well, recently, I am happy to say, I conquered the banana bread beast. Yes, I won. I won at life.

This recipe is several years and about 200 loaves of mediocre or failed banana bread in the making. But here, right in front of your eyes, is the best-ever, hearty, moist, pleasantly filling / not junky vegan and gluten-free banana bread. I think two major keys to perfect banana bread are almond flour and coconut oil. I really have tried this recipe with peanut butter and almond butter, but to me, texture and flavor wise, coconut oil (though boring) reigns supreme.

Winning at this recipe was a major hurdle for me to overcome in my life. I finally feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my culinary shoulders. In a sense, accomplishing this banana bread was a pleasant reminder that if I bust my butt hard enough, I can overcome any life obstacle. Which, when you’re moving halfway across the country again to throw yourself into grad school after some relaxing time off, is a pretty good reminder.

Onwards and upwards, friends! Happy banana bread to you. :-D And in the words of Apu from the Simpsons, “Hallelujah, we have banana bread.”

5. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and top with remaining 1/4 cup walnuts, and bake for 60 – 80 minutes, or until bread becomes browned and until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean upon removal. Allow to cool and serve with coconut oil, jelly, or more nut butter :-D.

Happy July! It’s July already?!? Yeah, I don’t know how that happened either. June flew by. Last thing I knew it was Jimmy’s birthday and now suddenly Summerfest is half over and everyone is getting ready for the 4th.

Ahh yes, the 4th of July. Just the mention of such a holiday fills me with Katy Perry song-spirit. The 4th of July means food, and fun, and BBQ. It’s a great excuse to get outside with friends and family and come together to eat good food, enjoy the sunshine, play some weird outdoor games while half drunk, and explode things in the sky.

Personally fireworks confuse me from a waste and ecological standpoint. I just don’t think they’re worth it. Also, they sound funny and my dog doesn’t like the loud booms. But you don’t care about my opinions anyway, do you? You care about what most people care about on the 4th of July which is tacky patriotic outfits and food. Fun food. Party food. Grilled food. Finger food. Basically, ALL DA NOMS.

When it comes to being a vegetarian or vegan at a BBQ, things can get awkward. I’ve gotten used to the BYOVB (bring your own veggie burger) way of life. Which works for me. I’d rather bring something and know I have a good option than show up to a sad empty bun with a side of grapes, and/or a grilled portabella “burger,” Ugh. No thanks. I have nothing against portabella mushrooms, but I cannot stand the whole portabella mushroom “burger” concept.I kind of wish I did like it, because it’s so often offered to me at BBQs. But it’s just not my taste. Pass me the veggie burgers, plz & thank you.

So I usually come with my own veggie burger (or 4) in hand, and have a happy time. But last night I was eating falafel from Trader Joe’s on pita bread with simultaneously eating these amazing dinner rolls I had. And then it hit me – I could make falafel sliders! What a cute, delicious finger food for the 4th of July or any party! Or my lunch! Excitement flooded my entire being as I stuffed myself with falafel-y goodness.

You can also use Trader Joe’s frozen falafels as an excellent shortcut in making these babies. You simply microwave them and they are pretty damn tasty. You can also make your own. These Waffle’d Falafel Patties I made last year would work great. As would other pre-made falafels, or whatever falafels you make from your favorite recipe.

The concept here is pretty simple: a falfel patty on a little dinner roll with whatever fixin’s and toppings you’re feelin’. I added lettuce, tomato, and a sauce I whipped up using Trader Joe’s Muhammara spread and unsweetened plain coconut milk yogurt. This was a delicious, flavorful, slightly spicy yet cool and creamy topping for the sliders. If you haven’t had the new(ish) Trader Joe’s Muhammara spread, you must.

I don’t really mean to tell you that you absolutely need this in your life to survive, but the truth is you actually really need this in your life to survive. Holy yum. It’s a hummus-like spread made of walnuts, roasted red peppers and pomegranate juice. It’s basically a spreadable flavor bomb.

If you can’t get access to this, you can sub roasted red pepper hummus. And/or any other spread you may like on your falafels. Like tahini or tzatziki. It’s up to you. Anyway you sauce, these falafel sliders are the boss. They’re tasty, satisfying, and obviously mini and adorable. Cheers to you and happy 4th of July!

8 cooked falafel patties – [ I bought the frozen ones from Trader Joe’s which are vegan and quite good for a quick shortcut; you can also make your own – I recommend this Waffle’d Falafel Balls from last year (#tbt) and/or any other recipe you may already like :) ]

note: if you can’t find these ingredients, and/or are not dairy free, feel free to mix equal parts roasted red pepper hummus or any hummus with any unsweetened plain yogurt of your choice, or a few tablespoons hot sauce with any neutral base like unsweetened plained yogurt or veganaze, for your own dipping sauce. you could also sub Tahini sauce or Tzatziki Sauce – it’s all up to you!)

3. Cut dinner rolls in half. Slice tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce into small slices. Place a piece or two of lettuce, a piece of tomato, and a cucumber slice on each bun. Add one falafel to each sandwich. Top with a dollop of sauce and place top of bun on falafel.

The other night I had a crazy wild fun dream that I made a mini pie. As a result of this magical dream, I couldn’t stop thinking about a mini pie for a full 36 hours, which prompted me to go to Crate and Barrel and buy not one, but two mini pie dishes. Hashtag why buy one mini pie dish when you can have two?!

I mean, how could I not? JUST LOOK AT THEM. I even took an iPhone foto to document the cuteness/brag about my purchases.

This pie trip was actually super appropriate and justifiable because 1) I love pie and mini things and 2) The Recipe Redux challenge for the month of June was “Pie Love.”

I love me a good pie. I mean, really, who doesn’t like pie?Pie is for everyone; it is truly a food for the people. And pie can be oh so many different things – sweet or savory, fluffy or dense, chocolatey or fruity, or even veggie packed and dinner-appropriate. Pie is a food of many hats, you could say.

I wanted to make a sweet pie because sweet I’m a dessert queen. At first I was going to make a fruit-filled pie. And then I did. It was peach and blueberry with a crumble topping. It was great. I ate it all in 24 hours. It’s likely that it’s recipe will pop up soon right here on kbaked.com. But then I next had a hankering for a cream pie. A fluffy, wonderful pillowy refreshing pie for summer. One you could hypothetically place your head down to sleep on, should you desire.

Cream pies are a little bit less common for those who are dairy-free to come across. So I also enjoyed the additional challenge of dreaming one up and executing it. I used canned coconut cream as a substitute for heavy whipping cream. This works magically. There are a million recipes for coconut whipped cream on the internet, so I”m not going to pretend like I made it up. If you’ve never had coconut whipped cream, you should give it a whirl. Google “coconut whipped cream” recipe and make some. Side note: it’s delightful with berries.

I bought my coconut cream at (surprise surprise) Trader Joe’s for $1.49. Damn good deal. Also a good deal is the $2.99 papayas we have had in recently. Papayas have been such a nice change of pace for me as far as fruit goes. It’s like this creamy buttery mellow flavored tropical melon. Gimme.

Papaya basically has the word “pie” in it, so I figured why not put it in a pie. And then I decided to add some mango for extra sweetness and a tropical flavor punch. The result is a wonderful fluffy and refreshing pie which is light and airy and fluffy and reminiscent of sitting on a beach in Cabo or something. Or sitting on your porch in Suburbia, WI. Basically the same thing right? right.

If you need something to lighten your spirits, tantalize your taste buds, or just something plain different to mix up the summertime dessert routine, I suggest you make this pie. Pro tip: tastes great with a whole lotta berries and a little extra crushed up graham cracker on top. Enjoy :-)

1 can coconut cream refrigerated at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. —> (coconut cream is available at Trader Joe’s. If you do not have a Trader Joe’s in your area, simply take a can of full fat coconut milk and place in the fridge overnight. remove solid fat portion from can for pie)

1/2 large papaya (about 1.5-2 cups cubes)

1 cup cubed mango (frozen or fresh)

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup shredded coconut for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse graham crackers into crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, place in a ziplock bag and smash with a wooden spoon or rolling pin until crumbs form. Pour into a medium bowl and add sugar. Mix.

2. Melt coconut oil and add to graham crumbs. Mix well. Pour graham mixture into a pie dish and press into bottom and edges. Place in the refrigerator to set.

3. In a food processor or blender, combine cubed papaya and mango. Puree until smooth. Add sugar and puree again.

4. In a large bowl using an electric beater, whip solid coconut fat from a can until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Gently fold in papaya and mango puree mixture until just combined. Pour into pie dish with graham crust. Garnish with shredded coconut if desired. Place in fridge to chill for at least an hour. Enjoy :-D.

For more Pie Love from fellow Recipe Redux members, click around below:

Why is it that mini foods are more fun? At first it seems paradoxical, especially in a culture where bigger is better. But it’s undeniable. Mini food RULES.

You know what I mean. Mini m&ms and mini chocolate chips >>>>> than their regular sized counterparts. And whenever things are miniaturized, whether they be burgers as sliders or bite-sized cupcakes or those tiny peanut butter cups, something is always more fun about mini food.

I believe it has to do with food ratios and textures. Also visual appeal and general cuteness. But that’s just my two cents and super scientific take on the matter. Feel free to agree and/or disagree, my opinion is pretty much set.

Mini foods also makes them Millie-sized, and we all know any mention or thought of my sweet pup fills my heart and soul with joy. What’ can I say? She’s just ma girl.

So the idea for mini pancakes is actually inspired by the Silver Dollar Pancakes at Trader Joe’s in the frozen section. Lots of moms tell me their kids love them. I tell them my mom loves them. Go pita, shattering stereotypes.

I was off work today and wanted to do something a wee bit special for breakfast. As I had the time, I decided that I was going to make banana pancakes, because 1) I love bananas and 2) I wanted to “pretend like it’s the weekend, now” as that one Jack Johnson song goes because the way my work week falls at this moment Tuesday is my Sunday aka pseudo-weekend on a weekday. Confused yet? Cool. Let’s talk pancakes.

These wee babies are fluffy yet hearty, thanks to the creation of pseudo-buttermilk by combining almond milk + vinegar for a little bit of fluffy umpf, and the almond meal gives them a wonderful nutty flavor, reminiscent of banana bread with a density and satisfaction that will actually keep you full, unlike say, pancakes made with all-purpose flour.

I really loved these little guys. They are not only delicious, but adorable, and oh-so-dippable, which is an added bonus for me because I’m not a real adult yet and I really enjoy that sort of stuff / eating with my fingers. How sticky and delightful.

Make these wee ones and enjoy them plain, or with banana slices and maples syrup. Enjoy. Eat pancakes. Be happies. Go bananas.

3. Heat electric griddle to about 300 degrees (temperature may vary greatly among griddles) or heat a small amount of non-dairy butter or coconut oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. Allow to heat completely before cooking pancakes. When you flick water onto the griddle and hear a sizzle, it’s time to go.

4. Place about 1 tablespoon of batter in small circles on the griddle. When the top begins to bubble and edges begin to brown slightly, flip pancake and cook on the other side. Each side should take approximately 60-90 seconds to cook.

Do you ever just want a big crusty sandwich with good toasty crunchy edges? I do.

Do you ever want something that’s warm and filling that gives you energy instead of making you feel icky? Then we have something in common.

And have you ever had hummus warmed up and realized it’s the best thing ever? I have. And if you have not, it would be my great honor to share with you this simple pleasure.

If a sandwich isn’t for you today, you could also try warm hummus in this Hummus Barley Bowl with Sweet Potatoes & Kale. Yes I did just try to subtly self-promote another post of mine within this post. Why not, right? It’s my blog and I #dowhatiwant. Like make sandwiches out of plants and call it grilled cheese. Can I get a kale yeah?

I grilled mine in a panini press. I really enjoyed this life choice. I forgot about my panini press. But hot damn I’m happy I rediscovered it. Time to rekindle my love for pressed sammies. All dem crispy edges <3.

If you don’t have a panini press, feel free to use your stovetop and a shallow skillet or frying pan.

1. Cook sweet potato until tender, either in the oven at 425 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or in the microwave for 6-10 minutes.

2. Scrape the insides of the sweet potato into a bowl. Add nutritional yeast, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and salt and pepper into a small bowl and mash together. Add almond milk to thin, if desired, and mix well again.

3. Spread a layer of sweet potato mash over one slice of bread, and a layer of hummus over the other. Add additional toppings, if desired. I recommend sun dried tomatoes.

4. If using a panini press, bring to medium-high heat and toast until insides have melted and warmed and bread is toasted, about 4-5 minutes. If you are toasting in a skillet on the stove-top, warm and melt about a teaspoon of non-dairy spread or coconut oil over medium heat. Gently place sandwich and allow to toast until browned, about 2-3 minutes, then flip to the other side and repeat on other side of sandwich until both slices of bread are browned, crispy, and delicious. Enjoy. :-)

Dude I love hummus. It’s been a lifelong infatuation that started at a young age. I have distinct memories of being a kindergardener and bringing hummus to school on a bagel with tomato slices on it and having two kids at my lunch table be all like “Ewwww what is that?” while peering over their basic ham & cheese sandwiches and ho-hos. And I’d be like, “Back off bitches, it’s hummus.” Well, not really. But I did stand up for hummus since I was a wee one. And now everyone likes hummus. Hummus is cool. Always has been, always will be. Those lil homies just hadn’t experienced its magical wonders yet.

Another thing I’m into lately is Miso paste. I bought it at work one day (PSA: an 8oz container of White Miso Paste is $1.69 at Trader Joe’s) with no idea what to do with it but I was intrigued.

I’ve found things to do with it since! Like make this Ginger Miso Baked Tofu. Man that was good. I’ve also been adding it to rice, vegetable, and noodle dishes for a lil festive umami flair.

Before I knew it, I was hooked. I’d crave miso. I was eating it straight out of the container with carrots, as if it were actually hummus. And then, it hit me: Miso Hummus. And ever since that epiphany hit, I knew I had to make it. I believe during this epiphany I was texting with my friend/food styling idol, Becky (hi, BH!) and mentioned it to her and she sounded as excited as I felt. And since then I’ve been on a Miso Hummus mission.

Well, after a little experimenting, I must say, mission accomplished. This miso hummus is boss. It’s all the legume-y umami creamy dreamy luscious yummus hummus foodstuff I dream about. Yes, I dream in hummus. Be jealous.

I ate this hummus in the morning. Did you know that’s actually traditional in parts of the world? With pickles. Seriously. Pickles + hummus = best breakfast (or snack) combo ever. Anyways, you can make it and eat it however and whenever you’d like. Or not. You do you.

1 15 or 16 ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed with water from chickpea can reserved and set aside

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 clove garlic depending on how garlick-y you like hummus (totally optional, can be omitted)

3 tablespoons miso paste (I got mine at Trader Joe’s)

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons liquid reserved from chickpea can

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Drain liquid out of chickpea can and set liquid aside. Do not throw it away. This liquid is a very helpful component in achieving good hummus texture. Trust me.I learned it in food science. They taught us important stuff at NYU.

2. Rinse chickpeas and place in a food processor or blender. Juice 1/2 a lemon and add to food processor. Mince garlic and add. Add olive oil and 2 tablespoons liquid from chickpeas.

3. Grind chickpea mixture in food processor until desired consistency is achieved. You may have to mix it a few times with a spatula or spoon. Personally I like my hummus a little chunky, but if you like it super smooth, blend away!

I don’t know why the idea of homemade cereal intrigues me so much. it has for a while. Remember when I made Homemade Healthified Reese’s Puffs Cereal? Yeah that was weird too. I just love cereal. But never for breakfast. Breakfast is meant for nut butter toast with fruits and oatmeal. But that’s another story.

We have these Oatmeal Flake things at Trader Joe’s. People like them. Sometimes we’re out of them and people get sad. I’m sorry friends. It happens. I get sad when we run out of organic bananas before I can buy a bunch, especially on a day with lots of good bunches. Food anticipation followed by let down is the worst.

Anyways, I randomly wanted to make cereal this morning and wanted something not-too-sweet that had some substance too it. I love oatmeal and decided making Oatmeal Flakes would be a good way to go. I added flax because I enjoy the nutty flavor it adds to things and it makes an excellent binding agent in baking. The result was a crunchy, oat-y, delightful flake cereal that is excellent with almond milk and/or as a snack.

I gotta be honest I was kind of shocked at how well this stuff came out. I was panicking that it was going to be a fail-boat while it was in the oven so then I ended up also making a batch of Cherry Vanilla Almond Granola so then I had Cherry Vanilla Almond Granola and Homemade Oatmeal Flax Flake Cereal and I concluded I really need a life.

But then again I don’t. I’m happy as a clam just hanging with my dog and baking most days so if that makes me lame, so be it. I’m lame and happy. So ha!

Prep Time: 5 minutesBake Time: 30-40 minutesLevel: Easy

makes about 2 cups cereal, easily doubled

Ingredients:

2 cups oat flour (can make by grinding oats in a food processor or blender for two hours)

1/2 cup flax

1 tablespoon sugar (optional, and can add up to 3 tablespoons. i just prefer not-too-sweet-cereal)

3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour mixture onto the parchment-lined baking sheet and spread into a thin layer with a spatula. Place in the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the mixture has totally dried out and the edges begin to lift.

4. Remove sheet from oven and allow to cool. Cut with a kitchen shears into strips, and then bite-sized pieces, and/or break with your hands for a rustic, flakey look. Enjoy with your favorite nondairy milk or as a snack :-)